Boxing gloves



Nov. 11, 1970 B; KENNEDY 3,540,059

BOXING GLOVES Filed Oct. 30, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVI'INIUK. BERT KENNEDY ATTORNEY B. KENNEDY Nov. 17, 1970 BOXKN: GLOVFS 2 Sheets-Shae t 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1968 INVI'IN'I'UH.

BERT KENNEDY FIG. 6

United States Patent 3,540,059 BOXING GLOVES Bert Kennedy, R0. Box 58, Caroga, N.Y. 12032 Filed Oct. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 771,767 Int. Cl. A41d 13/10 US. Cl. 2-18 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a boxing glove having a mit section and a thumb section extending through the palm side of the glove and lying in front thereof, means for restricting the movement of the thumb section away from the front of the glove palm; such means comprising a palm cover section which overlies the thumb receiving pocket of the glove.

The present invention relates to boxing gloves and has for its general object to provide a boxing glove that will be safer for use than conventional boxing gloves now in use.

In standard boxing gloves, such as currently used in both professional and amateur boxing contests, the thumb of the glove presents a source of danger to both contestants. Because the thumb may be moved away from the mitt part of the glove, there is a risk of dislocation or more serious injury to the thumb of the wearers hand by snagging or striking, while spaced away from the mitt part of the glove, against a part of the opponents body. Also, the separated glove thumb permits a boxer to avail himself of an unfair and illegal opportunity of thumbgouging an opponents eye or other part of the face.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide boxing gloves, in which both of the foregoing dangers and shortcomings are reduced to a minimum, if not entirely eliminated.

It is an object of the invention to provide boxing gloves in which the thumb is confined against movement away and spacing from the mitt part of the glove.

It is another object of the present invention to provide boxing gloves, of the character described, which, through limiting thumb movement away from the mitt part of the glove, nevertheless provide suflicient room and facility for flexing the thumb, so as not to interfere with the flexing of the other fingers, as in first formation, and permit the flexing of the other fingers thereover.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide boxing gloves, of the character described, which will present substantially a smooth and continuous outer surface so as to avoid the snagging or scraping of any part of the glove against an opponents body or injure the opponent by reason of any projections or rough surface portions upon the gloves.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide boxing gloves, of the character described, which do not detract from the utility of the gloves, nor materially alter their weight or cost or convenience of use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the boxing gloves of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiments are shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and

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without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a boxing glove of the present invention; partly broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, front perspective view of another embodiment of a boxing glove of the invention; partly broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of still another embodiment of a boxing glove of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, edge view of the glove as seen from the thunmb side thereof.

Referring now, in greater detail, to the boxing gloves of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and with particular reference to the embodiment thereof illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the same show a boxing glove of general conventional shape and, in the main, of generally conventional construction. Such glove includes a mitt section for housing the hand and four fingers thereof, generally designated as 10, and a thumb-receiving section, generally designated as 12.

The mitt section 10 comprises a back portion and a palm portion. The back portion consists of a cover ply, 14, formed of material conventionally used for the purpose, such as leather, and a lining ply, 16, formed of canvas, or the like. The back portion is of greater width and length than the lining ply 16; each ply extending from a point below the wrist to a point above the fingers of a hand over which the glove is to be worn, and they hold between them the padding, 18, which extends from a point immediately above the wrist area, 20, to a point overlying the top of the fingers, designated as 22.

The palm portion is shown to comprise a lining ply, 24, and an inner cover ply, 26, of conventional shape, including a longitudinally-extending opening, 28, and an arcuate cut-out portion, 30, along the midpoint of one edge, for accommodating the attached thumb section 12, as is conventional.

The thumb section 12 may consist of inner and outer lining sections, 32 and 34, respectively, whose connected edges form the thumb housing, and inner and outer cover plies, 36 and 38, the latter of which may be enlarged relative to the outer lining ply 34 to form a space to accommodate padding between them; or the lining ply 34 may be of the same width as the outer thumb cover ply 38 and may have padding material secured to its inner surface, as in the form of a pile fabric, 40.

The glove of FIGS. 1 and 2 departs particularly from the conventional in having provided therein a second and outer cover ply for the palm section thereof, designated as 42. Such outer cover ply 42 may be of the same material as the inner palm cover ply 26 and is shown to be of lesser length than such inner cover ply; terminating short of the back overlap 20 and short of the upper, free end of the thumb section 12, and is formed without the thumb cutout 30. The outer palm cover ply 42 may have a longitudinally-extending opening 'Which registers with the opening 28 in the inner palm cover ply 26 and may be attached to the latter by the lines of stitching, 44, and by the binding, 46, which encloses the edges of the open ings in the two palm cover plies and extends around the edge of the bottom glove opening. The conventional open- 3 ings, 48, for the tie laces, 50, extend through the two plies between the stitches 44 and the binding 46 to each side of opening 28.

The glove of FIGS. 1 and 2 may also be provided with a conventional transverse thickened, stiffened portion, 51, opposite the edge of the outer palm section cover ply 42, around which the fingers of the hand within the glove may be bent to form a fist.

In assembling the boxing glove of FIGS. 1 and 2, the edges of the palm section lining ply 24, inner palm cover ply, 26, and outer palm cover ply 42, remote from the thumb side of the glove, are placed between the corresponding edge of the back section lining ply 16 and the corresponding edge of the back section cover ply 14, with the latter on the exterior and stitched together as by line of stitches, 52, into a unitary seam. At the top of the glove where the palm section outer cover ply 42, does not extend, its edge is omitted from the seam. On the thumb side of the glove the palm section outer cover ply 42 is passed around the thumb section and its edge is included again in the seam on that side, together with the several plies forming the thumb section, as well as with the back lining ply 16 and palm section lining ply 24 and inner palm cover ply 26, in a single seam sewn together by the stitching, 54.

Referring now to the modified embodiment of the glove of FIG. 3, the mitt section 10 thereof is substantially the same in construction as that of the glove of FIGS. 1 and 2; except that the outer cover ply 26 of the palm portion extends the full length of the palm section and its edge is incorporated in the upper seam portion connecting the palm portion with the back portion, whereby no part of the thumb section 12 is visible from the exterior of the glove; such thumb section being movable within the pocket formed between the outer and inner palm section cover plies 42 and 26.

In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 there is illustrated a further and more preferred embodiment of the boxing glove of the invention. In such embodiment the mitt section 10 is of substantially conventional construction, having but a single palm cover ply corresponding to the inner palm cover ply 26 which departs from the conventional in that the portion of the palm cover ply 26, from the point at approximately the wrist of the glove to the upper edge of the palm section thereof is cut away to a distance inwardly past the thumb area of the glove and an inset, 56, is secured to the edge portion of the cut-away.

The inset 56 is preferably of greater length and greater width than the cut-away portion, so that, when its outer side edge and upper edge are secured to the corresponding side edge and top edge portions of the back cover ply 14, shirrings, 60, are formed to billow the inset outwardly to form a pocket between it and the thumbsreceiving pocket, 62, for receiving the padding material, 64. Such thumb-receiving pocket 62 may be formed wholly of the lining material, as in one piece, or in two pieces, as may be desired, and without any outer cover portions, and is secured within the thumb opening in the palm portion lining.

It will be seen that the boxing gloves of the present invention are highly effective for their purpose; namely, for limiting the movement of the thumb away from in front of the mitt section of the glove, in order to prevent injury and fouling, while, at the same time, not interfering with the necessary limited movement of the thumb for fist-forming and for avoiding discomfort. It will also be apparent that the boxing gloves of the present invention, particularly the embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4 to 6, are smooth-surfaced and will not snag against any part of the opponent and, thus, will not interfere with the effective use of the gloves. It will likewise be apparent that the boxing gloves of the present invention may be formed in any standard size, shape and weight, and that 4 they may be relatively economically produced; especially the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6.

It will be further apparent that numerous modifications and variations may be made in the boxing gloves of the present invention by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a boxing glove, said glove including a mitt section and a thumb-receiving section, said mitt section including a back portion and a palm portion, said back portion including an inner lining ply and an outer cover ply and padding disposed between said plies, said palm section including an inner lining ply and a cover ply and having a slit formed therein extending longitudinally inwardly from the hand-receiving edge of the glove, said palm portion lining ply and said palm portion cover ply secured to one another by stitching along the edges of said slit and secured by their edge portion to the edges of said back portion plies, said thumb section including an inner lining ply set and opening into the lining ply of said palm portion, said thumb section disposed in front of said mitt section on the palm side thereof, the improvement consisting of means inhibiting the movement of said thumb section away from in front of said mitt section, said inhibiting means comprising an outer cover ply overlying said palm cover ply and said thum b section, said outer cover ply having a slit formed therein in register with said slit in said palm portion and secured to said palm portion along the edges of said slit and secured by its edges to the edges of said palm portion and the corresponding edge portions of said back portion.

2. The boxing glOVe of claim 1, wherein said outer cover ply extends at least over the lower portion of said thumb section.

3. The boxing glove of claim 2, wherein said outer palm cover ply is coextensive with said palm cover ply.

4. In a boxing glove, said glove including a mitt section and a thumb-receiving section, said mitt section including a back portion and a palm portion, said back portion including an inner lining ply and an outer cover ply and padding disposed between said plies, said palm section including an inner lining ply and a cover ply and having a slit formed therein extending longitudinally inwardly from the hand-receiving edge of the glove, said palm portion lining ply and said palm portion cover ply secured to one another by stitching along the edges of said slit and secured by their edge portion to the edges of said back portion plies, said thumb section including an inner lining ply set and opening into the lining ply of said palm portion, said thumb section disposed in front of said mitt section on the palm side thereof, the improvement consisting of means inhibiting the movement of said thumb section away from in front of said mitt section, and said thumb section including a lining ply and an outer cover ply and padding between said thumb section plies, said padding comprising a pile fabric secured to the inner surface of said cover ply.

5. In a boxing glove, said glove including a mitt section and a thumb-receiving section, said mitt section including a back portion and a palm portion, said back portion including an inner lining ply and an outer cover ply and padding disposed between said plies, said palm section including an inner lining ply and a cover ply and having a slit formed therein extending longitudinally inwardly from the hand-receiving edge of the glove, said palm portion lining ply and said palm portion cover ply secured to one another by stitching along the edges of said slit and secured by their edge portion to the edges of said back portion plies, said thumb section including an inner lining ply set and opening into the lining ply of said palm portion, said thumb section disposed in front of said mitt section on the palm side thereof, the improvement consisting of means inhibiting the movement of said thumb section away from in front of said mitt section, said improvement comprising a cut-out formed at an upper part of said palm portion, said thumb section comprising an inner ply forming a thumb-receiving pocket extending into the cut-out area of said palm portion cover ply, and overlying the lining thereof, an inset cover ply portion secured by the edge portions thereof to the edge of said cutout and to the edge portions of said back section cover ply and overlying the said thumb-receiving pocket.

6. The boxing glove of claim 5, wherein said inset palm cover ply portion is of greater length and Width than the area of said cut-out, whereby the edge portions of said inset cover ply portion secured to the edge portions of said back portion cover ply are shirred to form a paddingreceiving recess over said thumb-receiving pocket and padding material is disposed Within said recess.

References Cited JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner 

